Guitar sites for learning vs. YouTube tutorials: Pros and cons of each so you can learn guitar faster and play better

Can I learn guitar from YouTube?

While the structured nature of guitar website lessons offer numerous benefits, YouTube tutorials hold a unique role in the guitar-learning space. 

YouTube holds a vast array of guitar tutorials – these can complement formal lessons or serve as a standalone tool for self-taught musicians. 

You’re also likely to find lessons on more esoteric genres and guitar concepts.

Here's a closer look at what YouTube tutorials offer to aspiring guitarists.

A diverse range of content

The sheer volume of content ensures that learners of all tastes and interests can find lessons in a certain niche. 

Whether you're into pirate metal, simpsonwave, or kawaiicore, YouTube has tutorials to cater to every musical inclination.

Flexibility and self-paced learning

One of the most appealing aspects of YouTube tutorials is their flexibility. 

• Learners can choose what, when, and how they want to learn, adjusting their learning pace to match their schedule and progress. 
• This self-directed approach empowers learners to take charge of their education, focusing on areas of interest.
• This freedom can be a negative – some people struggle with consistency without a fixed system in place.

Personally speaking, I tend to get distracted easily, and having a string of recommended videos in my line of sight is a recipe for disaster.

Immediate access to specific lessons

When learners encounter a specific challenge or want to learn a particular song, YouTube tutorials offer immediate access to targeted lessons. 

This is my favorite use case for YouTube – when you need a quick answer or demo of something.

The ability to instantly find and learn from specific content can be incredibly valuable, especially when a learner is motivated to tackle a new challenge or inspired by a particular piece of music.

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6 downsides to self-learning guitar on YouTube

While YouTube tutorials offer a wealth of information and the freedom to explore at one's own pace, relying solely on these resources for learning the guitar comes with its own set of challenges. 

This section delves into some of the potential pitfalls of self-learning through YouTube and how they can slow down your progress. 

#6 – Lack of structured learning path

Unlike guitar learning websites which are designed to build knowledge and skills progressively, YouTube tutorials do not follow a specific order. 

• This can lead to significant gaps in knowledge. 
• As beginners might skip foundational concepts in favor of learning songs or techniques that catch their interest. 
• Without a clear progression, it's easy to encounter frustration and plateauing in skill development.

#5 – Overwhelming amount of content

The sheer volume of content available on YouTube can be both a blessing and a curse. 

While it offers diverse learning opportunities, it can also be overwhelming for beginners who may not know how to discern quality tutorials from misleading ones. 

The risk of information overload is high, making it difficult for learners to stay focused and follow a consistent practice routine.

#4 - Lack of personalized feedback

Another significant limitation of learning through YouTube is the lack of personalized feedback. 

• When self-learning, beginners may unknowingly adopt incorrect techniques, which can lead to bad habits that are difficult to unlearn. 
• Without an instructor to provide guidance and corrections, these learners may struggle to improve their skills effectively.

It can be lonely trying to master guitar by yourself – I think having a second pair of eyes and ears is essential to make solid progress.

#3 – Motivation and accountability

Self-motivation and accountability can be challenging when learning an instrument through YouTube. 

Guitar learning platforms often include features like progress tracking and community forums, which can motivate learners to practice regularly and celebrate milestones. 

In contrast, self-learners must find internal motivation and self-discipline, which can be challenging to maintain over time.

#2 - Quality and accuracy of content

The quality and accuracy of YouTube tutorials can vary widely. 

While many experienced musicians and teachers are sharing valuable insights, there are plenty out there with bad information or poor teaching methods. 

Beginners might not have the expertise to differentiate between high-quality and misleading tutorials, potentially leading to confusion and ingrained mistakes.

The best place to learn guitar online will not only deliver quality content but also help you apply the information so that you progress and build your guitar-playing skills faster.

#1 - Annoying ads

There’s nothing worse when you’re on YouTube trying to learn something and you’re continually interrupted by annoying ads, arrrggghhh!

Sure, you can pay for YouTube premium to have no ads, but if you’re paying YouTube for generic guitar learning videos, perhaps it’s better to pay a specialized guitar training website a small membership fee and receive structured videos, learning pathways, community support, and all the other benefits too?

Main takeaways

Despite these challenges, YouTube remains a valuable resource for guitar learners, especially when used alongside structured guitar website training sites. 

• The key to overcoming these limitations lies in recognizing them. 
• YouTube tutorials are best suited as a supplement to a more structured learning approach.

To avoid frustration or even worse… giving up, you should always decide on you goals first, then  lay out a plan of action. If you’re not sure how to do that, contact us and we’ll be happy to offer some advice.

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Combining online lessons and YouTube tutorials

Let’s stop being so divisive. As musicians, we should know how to make things work in harmony together,

This strategy offers a well-rounded learning experience that leverages the structured, comprehensive curriculum of the best guitar lesson sites with the flexibility and variety of YouTube.

Here’s how you can blend these resources into one and harness their combined power.

Creating a ‘hybrid learning’ plan

1. The first step is to figure out what you want from your hybrid learning plan. It should outline some core objectives and milestones based on the structured curriculum provided by your guitar website classes. 
2. Then, you can supplement this curriculum with YouTube tutorials that offer different perspectives on the same topics or provide lessons on songs and techniques of personal interest. 

This approach ensures a solid foundation while also accommodating individual learning preferences and goals.

Using YouTube to reinforce concepts

Guitar training sites often introduce learners to new concepts and techniques through a series of step-by-step lessons. 

YouTube can serve as an excellent resource to reinforce these concepts by providing additional examples, interpretations, and applications. 

For instance, after learning a new chord progression through your guitar site membership, you can search for YouTube tutorials or backing tracks that feature the same progression. 

Filling gaps with YouTube tutorials

Despite the comprehensive nature of guitar website training courses, there may be specific areas or songs that are not covered in the curriculum. 

• YouTube tutorials can fill these gaps, offering lessons on niche genres, specific songs, or advanced techniques not addressed in certain online guitar courses. 
• This flexibility allows learners to pursue their unique musical interests and challenges, making the learning process more engaging and personalized.

Balancing structure with flexibility

One of the critical aspects of integrating online guitar classes and YouTube is finding the right balance between the structured learning environment and the flexibility to explore. 

You should prioritize forming a daily habit with the online lessons to ensure solid progress.

• Once you’ve got a routine down, use your free time to explore additional material on YouTube.
• This sense of autonomy will boost your motivation and enjoyment – plus it’ll keep the learning experience dynamic.

A well-balanced learning plan makes for a happy guitarist – trust me.

Seeking community and feedback

Online guitar membership sites often provide access to a community and personalized feedback from instructors. 

YouTube also offers a vast community of people to interact with – but those comment sections are not always constructive… or civil.

Best YouTube channels to learn guitar

As we’ve said throughout this article, the major benefit of YouTube is that you can find super-specific content – our advice is to hunt around and find a creator with a similar style to yours or a presentation style that you find engaging.

If you want a quick rundown of the big names – check out this article on popular YouTube guitar teachers.

Best online guitar lessons website

Ahem… you’re looking at it…

It’s not just our humble opinion that Pickup Music is the best site to learn guitar - we’ve helped 10,000s of guitarists and they all have great things to say about us. 

Check some TrustPilot reviews for an impartial take.

The Pickup Music guitar teachers and community can support you on your guitar journey, whether you’re a complete beginner looking for your first lesson or an experienced guitarist who needs help getting out of a rut.

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Author: Richard Spooner

Richard Spooner is a writer and musician originally from the UK. After studying contemporary guitar at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) in London, he toured the UK with various groups, playing styles ranging from acoustic to metal.

Richard's diverse experience gigging, studying music, working in guitar stores, and managing rehearsal studios has given him valuable insight into guitar and what it means to be a working musician. Since 2019, he has been traveling and working as an editor for Pickup Music, while also contributing to Total Guitar, Killer Guitar Rigs, and Guitar Pro. After a decade of performing, he now enjoys creating songs, writing about guitar, and taking long walks on the beach.